I was talking with a client today who
understands that managing the body's pH level from the foods we eat is a
potential source of better health has led me towards providing you with this
list of 7 ways you can get more greens into your diet.
I not trying to 'teach granny' here but we often
forget to get our 5-a-day in, fact is for various reasons it should be more
like 10-12 a-day.
By their nature green vegetables promote better
balance within the body through reducing the need for it to work harder trying
to maintain a normal pH level. Conversely there are other foods that add more
of a load towards an imbalanced pH, these are generally the foods that you
already know should be largely excluded from your diet or consumed in
moderation such as: fizzy drinks, refined wheat products, sweets and other
sugary products and even red meats.
Where pH is concerned, the balance of a meal is
evened out in the stomach as is the glycemic load (GL - rate of sugar
uptake into the blood stream) where all foods are mixed together to form chyme
before passing into the intestines for further digestion. You may find that
eating certain foods causes acid reflux, this is not the same as managing pH
balance with alkalizing foods but as ever a healthy diet is a healthy diet and
that means generally you will have less issues in the long-term.
1. Cooking - we are often limited in our choices
by limitations in our repertoire. Use Google to expand on your intake of green
vegetables and try out some now recipes.
2. Drink your greens - my children found delight
in a spinach, kale, apple and lime juice and so will you, so if you don't
already have a juicer and a blender then I recommend you get them asap and get
going. Again you'll find all the recipes you need on Google.
3. Soups - I find that the best soups are the
quickest. Stock and vegetables in a pot for 20 minutes then either blend
whole/part or not at all.
4. Stir-fry - Again this is quick and easy, most
veg require scant preparation so where speed is the essence this is perfect.
When was the last time you made a stir-fry?
5. Salads - it's that time of year. When was the
last time you added Kale to a salad? Most of the vegetables you cook can be
eaten raw and as such impart more vital nutrients that are lost in the cooking
process.
6. Omelettes - Cereal for breakfast? Unless your
cereal is loaded with berries/fruits, nuts/seeds and/or you have protein on the
side you're not getting a head start on the day’s good nutrition. Omelettes are
a sure fire way to get quality protein/fats and be able to add in more
vegetable. Again a few more minutes to make than cereal or toast but the bang
for your time buck is way more.
7. Use green leafs - do you like to wrap your
salad and meat in bread? Try using green leafs instead to make a wrap and
experiment with different lettuces and cabbages.
So your day could look like this:
- Breakfast - Omelette with spring onions and green peppers.
- Mid-morning snack - Smoothie with banana and avocado.
- Lunch - Salad: Kale, beetroot, carrots, red onions with olive oil and lemon juice. Side of flaked tuna.
- Afternoon - Green pea soup.
- Dinner - Chicken stir fry. Broccoli, peppers, mange tout, carrots, red onion.
How many fruit and vegetables 'A-Day' in this
sample day? 10-12 portions depending on portion sizes.
Basically
this is the sort of diet we should all aim for on a daily basis to promote good
health. The constituent parts are all there and depending on how much
protein you use in portions you should be getting around your intake to support
muscle maintenance in-line with a basic strength training plan. Your
carbohydrates will be mostly slow release and of high quality for greater
nutritional value to support a leaner body. Your fat intake will be high
quality to support proper cellular metabolism and functioning. Your fiber
intake will be amazing for a healthier digestive system and all sorts of other
stuff too.
Give it a go and then expand on your repertoire
with a little help from Google.
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